Recall ping-pong for dogs: how to play

Two people take turns calling your dog back and forth. Every arrival pays, so coming when called becomes the best game in the house.

You'll need

Start indoors or in a fenced garden. Stand 3 metres apart, each with treats. Solo? Toss a treat away from you, then call your dog back, and repeat.

Person A says your dog's name and "Come" once, in a happy voice, and crouches or opens their arms.
When your dog arrives, Person A gently touches the collar, then gives a treat. Calm praise.
Person B now calls. Person A goes quiet and still so they're boring.
Repeat 5 to 10 times. Keep it fast and cheerful.
As your dog gets quick, step further apart, then call from different rooms.
End on a great recall with a jackpot of 3 treats one after another.

Call once. If your dog doesn't come, make it easier: get closer, crouch, or move away to invite a chase.
Never call your dog for something they dislike, like a bath or nail trim.
The quiet person is always boring: no treats, no talking.

Make it easier: Stand closer together, use a hallway so there's only one way to go, or say the name and clap.
Make it harder: Call from out of sight, add mild distractions like a toy on the floor, then move to a fenced field. Practise with a long line outdoors.

Your dog races between you, tail up, turning toward the next caller before they even speak.

Your dog slows down, sniffs the floor, yawns or wanders off. They're tired or it's too hard.

Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.

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